Magnus Carlsen lauds D Gukesh but rules out world title clash with him
Ding will face a stern challenge from the 18-year-old Gukesh, who "doesn't make any mistakes at all" and has had a terrific run in 2024.
World No. 4 Indian Arjun Erigaisi beat compatriot Vidit Gujrathi after five hours of end-to-end action in the opening round of the Chennai Chess Grand Masters 2024 in Chennai on Monday.
It all started as an extra-curricular activity in school, which later became a life-long passion for D Gukesh and led to him becoming one of the best chess exponents in the world.
Gukesh follows in the footsteps of Anand, the only other Indian to win the Candidates
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa went down to World No 1 Magnus Carlsen in the FIDE Chess World Cup final, in Baku, on Thursday.
Magnus Carlsen will not defend his world championship in 2023 against Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi as he is not motivated to play another match, the Norwegian five-time champion said in a podcast on Wednesday.
Teen chess sensation R Praggnanandhaa's mother, R Nagalakshmi said on Friday she was elated to see her son seal a berth in the Candidates Tournament, adding the 18-year-old has a "long way to go" in the sport.
The second game of the Chess World Cup final between Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Magnus Carlsen ended in a draw after 30 moves.
China would have been among the top medal contenders in the Olympiad and their absence would brighten India's chances.
Chess will crown a new world champion when Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren begin their battle on Sunday.
This was the second time this month that the Norwegian has surrendered games or pulled out from a tournament which also featured Niemann.
Pragg, Gujrathi out of contention
Indian GM was impressive against a fancied and higher rated opponent
Gukesh had an exciting match against Nepomniachtchi out of a Catalan opening game on Tuesday.
Russian race walker Lashmanova banned, to be stripped of 2012 London Olympics gold
The event is held over 11 rounds in both open and women's categories with likely participation of over 2,000 players.
Anand firmly believes that India has enough talent to produce the next Chess World Champion
Five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand said the career spans of chess players are getting shortened because of the intense competition within the sport.
The announcement was made by Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on his Twitter page
Russian chess great Garry Kasparov has expressed hope that his "little joke" on Indian politics does not pass for "advocacy or expertise" after his cheeky social media post on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's love for the game went viral.
'Compared to three or four years back, I have cut down on my time as an active chess player. I have long aspired to come into the chess administration and this opportunity as the deputy president will be a huge learning curve for me'.
Vaishali completed the requisite 2500 ELO points Llobregat Open tournament in Spain to become only the third Indian woman after Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli to become a GM.
Eight of the world's best chess players began competing in an international tournament in Russia on Tuesday, but were told by organisers that handshakes would be optional because of the coronavirus that has halted most sports around the world.
India's Dronavalli Harika defeated former world champion Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in the third round of the FIDE Grand Swiss chess tournament in Riga to grab a share of the lead.
D Gukesh started off on a positive note, beating Deac Bogdan-Daniel of Romania
Former world champion Viswanathan Anand played out a thrilling draw with Anish Giri of Holland but bowed out of contention to win the Candidates after the 13th and penultimate round, which concluded in Moscow.
The 18-year-old also created history as he surpassed the legendary Viswanathan Anand to take the No 1 spot among Indian chess players in the live ratings.
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi on Tuesday said "everything came together" for him at the Grand Swiss event on his way to the Candidates.
Praggnanandhaa said just talking to the Indian chess wizard (Anand) boosts his confidence.
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh won the Chennai Grand Masters Chess Championship title in Chennai on Thursday, edging out compatriot Arjun Erigaisi on the tie-break after they finished equal on points.
With all games ending in draws, the lead positions remained unchanged and Gukesh continued to be at the top of the tables along with Fabiano Caruana of United States who drew a keenly contested game against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan.
In the women's event, India's D Harika drew with Nino Bastiashvili (Georgia) to move up to four points. She is in joint third place with six others.
Chess maestro Viswanathan Anand finally reunited with his family in Chennai after being stuck in Germany for over three months as the former World chess champion reached his home in Chennai on Saturday after completing a seven-day institutional quarantine in Bengaluru. Anand had returned to India on May 30.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa was accorded a rousing reception upon his arrival at the airport in Chennai on Wednesday.
Teenaged Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew the second game of the FIDE World Cup semifinal against American GM Fabiano Caruana on Sunday to push the contest into a tie-break.
After six draws in a row, Praggnanandhaa was relieved after the victory, a result of Gupta's blunder under time pressure.
D Gukesh struck back after recovering from a sedate start to defeat compatriot R Praggnanandhaa and Vincent Keymer in the Superbet rapid and blitz tournament
Indian chess great Viswanathan Anand sees signs of greatness in Nihal Sarin but says it's a long journey ahead for the impressive 14-year-old since there has been a trend of players struggling to replicate success as they age.
Khelo India Games were first organised in 2018 as part of the Modi government's initiative to revitalise sports culture at the grassroots level.
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